Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) – The Passenger, and Move Along Home

Morgan Grendel, Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Micheal Piller pen this episode from a story by Grendel that first aired on 21 February 1993.

This episode, while not stellar, balances the A and B story of the episode nicely, and builds the characters a little more.

Kira (Nana Visitor) and Bashir (Alexander Siddig) respond to a distress call in a runabout, but things don’t turn out as planned. One of the people they plan to rescue, Rao Vantika (James Harper), is a prisoner, a genocidal madman, dies before Dr. Bashir can save him.

The surviving security officer, Ty Kajada (Julie Caitlin Brown) is convinced Vantika survived, prolonging his life somehow. And when things begin to happen on the station that seem to indicate she’s right, the crew becomes suspect – they may be carrying a passenger… I wonder who?

The B story follows a new security officer, Lt. Primmin (James Lashly) arriving on the station, and causing some problems with the station’s constable, Odo (Rene Auberjonois) and his position of authority on Deep Space Nine.

I love the teaser with Bashir and Kira, the young doctor has no idea how arrogant he sounds to the more experienced crew, and they seem barely tolerant of him at times. It’s going to be a lot of fun watching hum mature as he finds his place on the station.

Not the best episode, but a fair sight better than the next one. Possibly the worst episode of the first season comes up next…

Station log: stardate unknown

Micheal Piller created the story that was adapted to a teleplay by Frederick Rappaport, Lisa Rich, and Jeanne Carrigan-Fauci for this episode that first aired on 14 March, 1993.

The story sees an alien race known as the Wadi arriving from the Gamma Quadrant and making first contact with the Federation through Deep Space Nine. Unfortunately they happen into Quark’s (Amin Shimerman) bar, and are cheated by the Ferengi

They coerce him into playing a game of their own design, and members of the station crew end up trapped in the game itself (like Jumanji) as pieces, that Quark has to guide to the resolution of the game. But it is not without risk, and the Ferengi barkeep may face some terrible choices before the game is complete.

Sisko (Avery Brooks) , Bashir, Kira and Dax (Terry Farrell) are the game pieces, and they try to puzzle their way through the maze of game play while the Wadi take Quark to task – forcing him to make heavy decisions regarding the game, and the crew.

All of it turns out well enough, and perhaps, for a few minutes at least, Quark learns a lesson.

There is some nice stuff between Sisjo and Jake (Cirroc Lofton) as they talk about changes that are coming, and his friendship with Quark’s nephew, Nog.

The Human Adventure continues next week as I explore Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series on DVD available now from Paramount Pictures.